"The Man in the Mirror"

[OneAccord]

The man in the mirror

I saw myself in a mirror today. Well, I didn’t see me, because I am me. But I did see me in a mirror. Well, I saw my reflection in a mirror. I saw my image in the mirror. My expressed image.

The funny thing is… everything I did, my reflection did. I touched my ear… my reflection touched “my” ear. I combed my hair… my image combed “my” hair, too. There was nothing I did, that my reflection didn’t do as well.

Jesus said when He was young: “How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business?” Luk 2:49 Everything the Father did, Jesus was doing because He was (or I should say, He IS) “the image of the invisible God” (Col. 1:15) He was, in essence, the perfect reflection of God. The writer of Hebrews said that God speaks to us through His Son who is “the brightness of [his] glory, and the express image of his person, (Heb. 1:3). Jesus is the expressed image of God’s person? Person???
Well, lets not go off on a tangent here. The word “person” (hypostasis) means

1) a setting or placing under
a) thing put under, substructure, foundation
2) that which has foundation, is firm
a) that which has actual existence
1) a substance, real being
b) the substantial quality, nature, of a person or thing
c) the steadfastness of mind, firmness, courage, resolution
1) confidence, firm trust, assurance

So, yes, God has a “person” in the sense that He has “an actual existence, has substance and is a real Being.” And Jesus, according to the Bible, is the expressed image of God’s Person.

The Bible refers to Jesus as God manifest in the flesh in 1 Tim 3:16. Does this mean that God actually became flesh? Not necessarily. The man I saw in the mirror was me, yet, “he” was not flesh. He was the image of me- the image of my flesh. The word “manifest” (phaneroō) means

1) to make manifest or visible or known what has been hidden or unknown, to manifest, whether by words, or deeds, or in any other way
a) make actual and visible, realised
b) to make known by teaching
c) to become manifest, be made known
d) of a person
1) expose to view, make manifest, to show one's self, appear
e) to become known, to be plainly recognised, thoroughly understood
1) who and what one is

Jesus, who was visible, made “visible” the unseen God. He “exposed God to view”. He revealed God in the flesh to teach us "Who" and "What" God is. That’s why He said this: Jhn 14:7 If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him. Philip couldn’t quite grasp this. He asked Jesus Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. The answer came rather quickly: Jhn 14:9 Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou [then], Shew us the Father? If we want to see God, we need only look at Jesus. If we want to know what God is like, we should look to Jesus. Lets look at this closer: Jhn 14:10 Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. My mirror image didn’t comb my hair. I did. The image I saw “reflected” my actions. What I do, my image “does”. My image was in perfect sync with what I do, in the same way that Jesus was in perfect sync with the Father. Jesus said I am in the Father, and the Father in me. The word “in” means, among other things “in, by, with”. “I am IN the Father….” , “I am BY the Father….”, “I am WITH the Father….” All of these are correct. “I am THROUGH the Father…” would also be correct. Jesus would later say Jhn 14:17 [Even] the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth WITH you, and shall be IN you. The Spirit of truth, the Holy Ghost, the same Spirit that came upon Jesus at His baptism would be “WITH” us, and “IN” us. And, by being “with” and “in” us, the Holy Spirit enables us to be as God intended: His very image.

In the beginning, God created man in His image. But sin entered the Garden and the heart of man. So, while God initially created man in His image, man fell and was ousted from the very Presence of God. Only through the redemption of sinless Blood could man ever be redeemed and brought back into a right relationship with God. Col 3:10 And have put on the new [man], which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: The fact that we are to be “in God’s image” doesn’t put us on the same level with Jesus. Jesus, who was born of God without sin, the very expressed image of God’s Person, had no need for redemption for He was without sin. To redeem us, Jesus took on our sin, and gave His life for our sins. We were “born in sin, sharpened in iniquity“, and we are in need of redemption in order for us to become the reflection of God’s nature. Jesus had no need of redemption because He was born of God, without sin. He was as John describes Him in John 1. “In the beginning was the Word (God) and the Word was WITH God, and the Word was God.” That Word, which has always existed, was made Flesh, visibly, in the Person of Jesus Christ (vs. 14) and reflected the very image of the invisible God. Jesus is “the Man in God’s mirror”.

[Sam]

1 In the beginning [before all time] was the Word (Christ), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God Himself.
2 He was present originally with God.
3 All things were made and came into existence through Him; and without Him was not even one thing made that has come into being.
4 In Him was Life, and the Life was the Light of men.
5 And the Light shines on in the darkness, for the darkness has never overpowered it [put it out or absorbed it or appropriated it, and is unreceptive to it].
6 There came a man sent from God, whose name was John.
7 This man came to witness, that he might testify of the Light, that all men might believe in it [adhere to it, trust it, and rely upon it] through him.
8 He was not the Light himself, but came that he might bear witness regarding the Light.
9 There it was--the true Light [was then] coming into the world [the genuine, perfect, steadfast Light] that illumines every person.
10 He came into the world, and though the world was made through Him, the world did not recognize Him [did not know Him].
11 He came to that which belonged to Him [to His own--His domain, creation, things, world], and they who were His own did not receive Him and did not welcome Him.
12 But to as many as did receive and welcome Him, He gave the authority (power, privilege, right) to become the children of God, that is, to those who believe in (adhere to, trust in, and rely on) His name--
13 Who owe their birth neither to bloods nor to the will of the flesh [that of physical impulse] nor to the will of man [that of a natural father], but to God. [They are born of God!]
14 And the Word (Christ) became flesh (human, incarnate) and tabernacled (fixed His tent of flesh, lived awhile) among us; and we [actually] saw His glory (His honor, His majesty), such glory as an only begotten son receives from his father, full of grace (favor, loving-kindness) and truth.
15 John testified about Him and cried out, This was He of Whom I said, He Who comes after me has priority over me, for He was before me. [He takes rank above me, for He existed before I did. He has advanced before me, because He is my Chief.]
16 For out of His fullness (abundance) we have all received [all had a share and we were all supplied with] one grace after another and spiritual blessing upon spiritual blessing and even favor upon favor and gift [heaped] upon gift.
17 For while the Law was given through Moses, grace (unearned, undeserved favor and spiritual blessing) and truth came through Jesus Christ.
18 No man has ever seen God at any time; the only unique Son, or the only begotten God, Who is in the bosom [in the intimate presence] of the Father, He has declared Him [He has revealed Him and brought Him out where He can be seen; He has interpreted Him and He has made Him known].
John 1:1-18 Amplified Version

1 [We are writing] about the Word of Life [in] Him Who existed from the beginning, Whom we have heard, Whom we have seen with our [own] eyes, Whom we have gazed upon [for ourselves] and have touched with our [own] hands.
2 And the Life [an aspect of His being] was revealed (made manifest, demonstrated), and we saw [as eyewitnesses] and are testifying to and declare to you the Life, the eternal Life [in Him] Who already existed with the Father and Who [actually] was made visible (was revealed) to us [His followers].
3 What we have seen and [ourselves] heard, we are also telling you, so that you too may realize and enjoy fellowship as partners and partakers with us. And [this] fellowship that we have [which is a distinguishing mark of Christians] is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ (the Messiah).
4 And we are now writing these things to you so that our joy [in seeing you included] may be full [and your joy may be complete].
1 John 1:1-4 The Amplified Version

1 If you believe that Jesus is the Christ --that He is God's Son and your Savior-- then you are a child of God. And all who love the Father love His children too.
6 This is He who came by water (human birth) and blood (human death) —Jesus Christ; not only by water (born as a human), but by water and blood (died as a human). And it is the Spirit who bears witness, because the Spirit is truth. 7 For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one. 8 And there are three that bear witness on earth: the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and these three agree as one.
1 John 5:1, 6-8 from TLB and NKJV paraphrased.

[jfrog]

Originally Posted by OneAccord

The man in the mirror

I saw myself in a mirror today. Well, I didn’t see me, because I am me. But I did see me in a mirror. Well, I saw my reflection in a mirror. I saw my image in the mirror. My expressed image.

The funny thing is… everything I did, my reflection did. I touched my ear… my reflection touched “my” ear. I combed my hair… my image combed “my” hair, too. There was nothing I did, that my reflection didn’t do as well.

Jesus said when He was young: “How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business?” Luk 2:49 Everything the Father did, Jesus was doing because He was (or I should say, He IS) “the image of the invisible God” (Col. 1:15) He was, in essence, the perfect reflection of God. The writer of Hebrews said that God speaks to us through His Son who is “the brightness of [his] glory, and the express image of his person, (Heb. 1:3). Jesus is the expressed image of God’s person? Person???
Well, lets not go off on a tangent here. The word “person” (hypostasis) means

1) a setting or placing under
a) thing put under, substructure, foundation
2) that which has foundation, is firm
a) that which has actual existence
1) a substance, real being
b) the substantial quality, nature, of a person or thing
c) the steadfastness of mind, firmness, courage, resolution
1) confidence, firm trust, assurance

So, yes, God has a “person” in the sense that He has “an actual existence, has substance and is a real Being.” And Jesus, according to the Bible, is the expressed image of God’s Person.

The Bible refers to Jesus as God manifest in the flesh in 1 Tim 3:16. Does this mean that God actually became flesh? Not necessarily. The man I saw in the mirror was me, yet, “he” was not flesh. He was the image of me- the image of my flesh. The word “manifest” (phaneroō) means

1) to make manifest or visible or known what has been hidden or unknown, to manifest, whether by words, or deeds, or in any other way
a) make actual and visible, realised
b) to make known by teaching
c) to become manifest, be made known
d) of a person
1) expose to view, make manifest, to show one's self, appear
e) to become known, to be plainly recognised, thoroughly understood
1) who and what one is

Jesus, who was visible, made “visible” the unseen God. He “exposed God to view”. He revealed God in the flesh to teach us "Who" and "What" God is. That’s why He said this: Jhn 14:7 If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him. Philip couldn’t quite grasp this. He asked Jesus Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. The answer came rather quickly: Jhn 14:9 Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou [then], Shew us the Father? If we want to see God, we need only look at Jesus. If we want to know what God is like, we should look to Jesus. Lets look at this closer: Jhn 14:10 Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. My mirror image didn’t comb my hair. I did. The image I saw “reflected” my actions. What I do, my image “does”. My image was in perfect sync with what I do, in the same way that Jesus was in perfect sync with the Father. Jesus said I am in the Father, and the Father in me. The word “in” means, among other things “in, by, with”. “I am IN the Father….” , “I am BY the Father….”, “I am WITH the Father….” All of these are correct. “I am THROUGH the Father…” would also be correct. Jesus would later say Jhn 14:17 [Even] the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth WITH you, and shall be IN you. The Spirit of truth, the Holy Ghost, the same Spirit that came upon Jesus at His baptism would be “WITH” us, and “IN” us. And, by being “with” and “in” us, the Holy Spirit enables us to be as God intended: His very image.

In the beginning, God created man in His image. But sin entered the Garden and the heart of man. So, while God initially created man in His image, man fell and was ousted from the very Presence of God. Only through the redemption of sinless Blood could man ever be redeemed and brought back into a right relationship with God. Col 3:10 And have put on the new [man], which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: The fact that we are to be “in God’s image” doesn’t put us on the same level with Jesus. Jesus, who was born of God without sin, the very expressed image of God’s Person, had no need for redemption for He was without sin. To redeem us, Jesus took on our sin, and gave His life for our sins. We were “born in sin, sharpened in iniquity“, and we are in need of redemption in order for us to become the reflection of God’s nature. Jesus had no need of redemption because He was born of God, without sin. He was as John describes Him in John 1. “In the beginning was the Word (God) and the Word was WITH God, and the Word was God.” That Word, which has always existed, was made Flesh, visibly, in the Person of Jesus Christ (vs. 14) and reflected the very image of the invisible God. Jesus is “the Man in God’s mirror”.

Now there is some theology I could get used to

[Fiyahstarter]

Pure bible!

Thanks, guys.

[pastorrick1959]

very well done oneaccord . he was his image the reflection of god as you called it . that would make a nice pamplet .of course some oneness and some some trinity wouldnt lie it but some would lol. hey you cant please everybody ..\

i dont even try i just preach the word let the chips fall where they may with love.

[scotty]

Good stuff, as always Brother.

[Pressing-On]

Good words, OA!

One of my favorite scriptures:

II Corinthians 4:6 "For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ."

[Nitehawk013]

I thought this was going to be about the Michael Jackson song.

[missourimary]

[Timmy]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhywRqhVBDs